1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin dispenser which is used for sending out coins or medals (hereinafter, referred to inclusively as coins) to an exhaust in an automat, an exchanger, or a game machine such as a slot machine in which coin-shaped medals are used in particular, it relates to a coin dispenser in which a disc is rotated horizontally so as to pay out coins due to the centrifugal force thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional coin dispenser, a rotary disc driven by a motor is disposed inclined at an angle of, for example, about 80.degree. from horizontal plan in a bucket accommodating a large number of coins to be payed out. Thus, the weight of the coins in the bucket is applied directly to under side of the rotary disc to impart a large load an the rotary disc, resulting in difficulty of improvement of coin dispensation efficiency.
Under such circumstances, there has been proposed a coin dispenser in which the rotary disc is driven at a high speed and coin-pay out efficiency is greatly improved by rotating a rotary disc horizontally and paying out coins due to centrifugal force thereby.
This coin dispenser comprises a coin accommodating bucket having an opening at the bottom, a rotary disc rotatable substantially horizontally under the bucket, a guide for receiving the fringes of coins and inducing the coins to an exhaust, a regulating board for receiving the coins in the bucket over the opening, and a shaft for supporting the regulating board. In this coin dispenser, a large number of coins accommodated in the bucket are received by the regulating board so that a load due to the weight of the coins is not applied directly to the rotary disc and the rotary disc can rotate independently even if the regulating board is surrounded by coins. Further, a projection extending longitudinally or radially is provided at the position above the rotary disc and under the opening of the bottom of the bucket. The coins are stirred by the projection to prevent clogging of coins, which is apt to occur near the opening of the bucket.
In the coin dispenser having a projection as mentioned above, however, a considerable torque is required in order to stir the coins entering under the regulating board by means of the projection, even if a large number of coins accommodated in the bucket are caught by the regulating board, so that the driving mechanism is burdened. Also, since the coins are accumulated one above another, and since space is limited near the bottom opening of the bucket, a pinching phenomenon may occur. In other words, the projection may impinge upon the accumulated coins and becomes impossible to move. Thus, the coin dispenser has problems which include the requirement of an increased load of the driving mechanism and the pinching or biting of the projection into the coins, since the projection is provided for preventing clogging due to the coins near the opening of the bucket.